Lipstick, powder and paint
by Jemmiah
Summary: A test for QuiGon in child raising...will he cope? please review!


"Three weeks," Qui-Gon raised his eyebrows as he handed Mace Windu a cup of Caf, "three whole weeks since my home was invaded by a tornado with legs."

  
Mace laughed, enjoying the time away from more pressing matters elsewhere. "You asked for it." He grinned. "You were the one who swore all manner of nasty and un-jedi like things if the Council didn't grant you the kid's custody."  
"Don't remind me." Qui-Gon closed weary eyes. 

  
"You don't regret taking her in, do you?" Mace frowned suddenly. "If you're having any difficulties then we could try to find somebody outside the temple…"  
"No." Jinn replied immediately. "I stand by my promises. Nor do I regret making them in the first place. It's just…"  
"What?" Windu asked, adding more sweetener to his Caf.  
"Having somebody that young round the place is making me realize how young I no longer am."

  
Mace laughed. "Old, Qui. The word is old. You can say it, you know. It won't kill you." He stirred the liquid in the mug. "Yet." 

Jinn sighed for what seemed the hundredth time since Mace came to speak to him. 

"She's come on a lot since we brought her back, but I really think she's only just beginning to get used to life here. I'm not sure she likes being stared at. Being a non-Jedi has made her a conversation point for the temple gossips. You know, the people who don't know anything about her background." He placed his cup on the table. "When she first arrived she spent most of the time in the infirmary getting treated for that wasting illness she picked up on Nargotria. An-Paj warned me she'd do very little but sleep. Well, fine. I can cope with that. What he DIDN'T tell me," Jinn rolled his eyes," was what she would be like once she started recovering."

  
"And what has she been like?" Frowned Mace.  
"A complete and utter nightmare." Confessed Qui-Gon wearily. "One minute she's so tired she can hardly keep her eyes open with her fingers and the next she's like a tiny whirlwind. I thought Obi-Wan used to be hyperactive but it was not a patch on this!"

  
"You should take her back to see An-Paj." Mace offered.  
"I did. He was a bit more forthcoming this time. He said that the drugs that she'd been given were causing the hyperactivity but that it would wear off after she stopped taking them."  
"And when does she stop taking them?" Windu asked hesitantly.  
"Another two weeks." Jinn gulped softly. "And that's not it by a long shot." He stood up and beckoned Mace over to the kitchen area. 

  
"Open it." Qui-Gon said, pointing at the refrigeration unit. 

Mace blinked but did as was instructed. Pulling back the door, he looked in and found himself staring back at- 

Nothing. 

"That was full yesterday." Jinn shook his head. "Between my new Ward and the force sensitive termite, I have absolutely nothing left in this apartment that is remotely edible."

  
"You don't call your padawan 'the termite', do you?" Laughed Windu.  
"Only when he's out of earshot." Qui-Gon admitted dryly. "This was yet another thing that An-Paj neglected to tell me when she came back from the infirmary. Making sure she has regular meals is one thing. Stopping her eating long enough for her to take her regular meals is another." 

  
"You can hardly blame her for having an appetite." Mace smiled reassuringly at his friend. "She looks half starved.  
"Tell that to the packet of Takkini chips I purchased yesterday." Jinn shot back.

  
He looked up at the ceiling. 

  
"What Gods hate me enough to saddle me with two constantly snacking children?" 

******************************

  
Vernice Ashdal sat and braided Jemmiah's hair later that night. She had been yet another visitor to Qui-Gon's apartment to see if he was coping with his new responsibilities, or crying into his cereal, or slitting his wrists… 

"What is it with girls and hair?" Jinn pondered to Obi-Wan as they finished drying the dishes. "I've never understood this penchant for platting and braiding and putting in ornamental clasps."  
"I know." Kenobi agreed. "She's got nice hair though. The color, I mean."

  
"Hmm." Qui-Gon agreed. "I'm just pleased she's found something to do that doesn't involved sliding down banisters or along newly polished floor surfaces."  
"Or hanging from the light fittings." Obi-Wan said, munching on a piece of toast. "She was doing that earlier today."  
"What?" Jinn looked horrified.  
"Don't worry about it master. She's fine now. Look, she's…" Obi-Wan looked across at his foster sister.  
"Fallen asleep." Qui-Gon finished. "This is beyond a joke." 

Jinn glanced at his padawan. "Are you eating AGAIN?"

  
"It's just a snack to keep me going until supper time."  
"It's a good thing that Yoda never took you for a padawan." Jinn hissed, taking the dishtowel from his apprentice. "You would have starved!"  
"You seem to have done alright." Obi-Wan stared upwards at his tall master.  
"Only because Dex Berlingside used to smuggle me out food packages from Master Quirida-Xac's refrigeration unit…" He broke off at the gleam of victory in Obi-Wan's eyes.

  
"Ah-Ha!" Kenobi grinned. "You see, master? Another habitual snacker!" 

Damn, thought Jinn. Outsmarted by a termite! 

"Qui-Gon, I seem to have lost my audience." Ashdal nodded down to the girl in front of her who had nodded off.

  
"So I see." Sighed Qui-Gon, walking over to the fully platted Jemmiah. "Well, she might win the best turned out prize at a Nargot race meeting, but I think that's probably it for tonight's grooming session. "He spared a quick glance at Vernice's long hair, also with multiple braids and beads. "Thanks for occupying her mind with something a little less destructive than usual."

He bent down to pick her up, and was reminded pointedly how light she was in his arms. Maybe he had been a little hasty in his criticism of her snacking earlier that day, he reflected guiltily. Out the corner of his eye he saw his padawan eyeing up yet another piece of toast. 

"I'll leave all the hair combs and brushes for her, shall I?" Vernice asked.  
"Please do." Jinn nodded. "Come on, Tangles." He grimaced as he headed off towards the spare bed. 

He stopped as he reached the door and called over his shoulder. 

"Don't you even THINK about eating that toast, padawan." 

*********************************** 

"Qui-Gon." Mace Windu followed his friend out of the Council chambers. "It's not as bad as you think."  
"What do you mean?" Jinn gritted his teeth. "How could it get any worse?"  
"They're only coming to check up on Jemmiah's progress and carry out a small assessment. You know, see if either of you are having any problems…"

  
"We get along just fine, thank you." Qui-Gon snapped. "There aren't any problems."  
"That's not what you said yesterday."  
"I do not NEED to be assessed." Qui-Gon replied. "I've looked after three Padawan's for more years than I care to recollect. This is insulting."

  
"Think about it, Qui. Jemmiah's situation is unusual to say the least. She's suffered all sorts of maltreatment. For a Jedi to take on a non-Jedi is virtually unheard of as far as I am aware. To get your temporary custody confirmed you have to go through this assessment." 

Jinn snorted. 

"I could really do without this, Mace." He confessed. "She's a lovely child but as thing stand at the moment she's either comatose or like a fully charged lightsabre."  
"Then perhaps it's for the best if you were to relinquish her care to somebody who…"  
"Absolutely not." Jinn folded his arms. 

They stared at each other confrontationally for a moment. 

"You'll allow the assessment then?" Mace said.  
"Do I have a choice?"  
"Not if you want to keep her, no." Windu retorted.  
"When." Qui-Gon said sullenly.  
"Er…well, that's just the thing. You see, they're rather hoping to visit you this afternoon."  
"WHAT?!?" 

Windu gave a sympathetic smile. "Don't worry, Qui. We'll do what we can to help." 

Somehow that did not set Qui-Gon's mind at rest. 

****************************** 

"Obi-Wan's at his history class." Jinn raced into his apartment, waving the babysitting Vernice Ashdal away with a grateful smile as he took over the helm.  
"Oh." Jemmiah watched him with rounded eyes as he began to straighten cushions and grab the polish for the table, and attempt a thousand and one things at once.

  
"What time are they arriving?" The girl asked.  
"Three." Jinn replied breathlessly. 

Jemmiah stared up at the wall chrono. 

"That's four hours away." She pointed out as he wrapped an apron round his waist.  
"Be prepared, that's my motto." He mumbled, before looking up swiftly. "You're not nervous are you?" He asked in concern.

  
"No," she frowned, "but I'm beginning to think I should be. You haven't slowed down since you got back, Master Jinn. They won't be here for ages." She started to braid a strand of her chestnut hair. "Why don't you sit down for a bit? You look pasted."  
"That's an understatement." Qui-Gon agreed. 

Perhaps he ought to sit down for a bit. He WAS tired. Ever since Mace had informed him of the Coruscant child welfare representative's visit he had done nothing but pace the floor. Jemmiah was regarding him with anxiety. He didn't want to make her nervous. 

Why was HE so nervous? 

"OK. I'll sit and rest for a bit." He smiled at her as she placed a bead on the end of her braid.

  
"You're getting the hang of that, aren't you?" Qui-Gon commented, relieved that she wasn't as yet doing handstands against the wall. He spotted a large plate of salad lying on a plate on the kitchen area's work surface. 

Which one of them has been raiding the refrigeration unit again, he wondered sternly? 

Jemmiah caught his stare. 

"I got that out for you." She said. "I thought you might be hungry with all the wearing out of the floor you've been doing." 

Qui-Gon felt ashamed for the second time in is many days. 

"That was very thoughtful of you." He nodded. "I'll tackle it later."  
"OK." She winked. "I thought I'd better be nice to you now, because when I'm Obi-Wan's age and you're forever telling me that I can't stay out 'til four in the morning or see who I want to we'll probably end up chewin' lumps out of each other."  
"I doubt it will come to that." He laughed. 

He rested his head against the back of the chair. So much rested on the outcome of this meeting. He supposed if things went really badly he could use the force to wipe the memories of the assessors. Not exactly what Master Yoda would advocate under the circumstances but.. 

He'd made a promise. He wasn't prepared to pass the girl over to anyone else. 

"Your hair's really long, too." Jemmiah squinted as if noticing it for the first time. "I can't imagine you with hair like Obi-Wan's."  
"It was certainly a long time ago." Qui-Gon smiled.  
"He didn't seem too happy when I offered to put glass beads in his braid." Jemmy pouted. "He seems very protective of it."

  
"That's because a Padawan's braid is a sacred symbol. It shows a continuation of knowledge and learning throughout the decades and even centuries of master to padawan." He looked at his own graying hair. "Obi-Wan's braid has some of my own hair mixed in with it to formerly acknowledge that tie. It's a tie thicker than blood itself." 

Jemmiah seemed impressed. 

"Phew!" She muttered at the floor. "I'm kinda glad I didn't cut it off afterall!"  
"Pardon?" Jinn wondered if he'd heard right.  
"Nothing." She smiled beguilingly. "Can I plat your hair?" 

Qui-Gon was about to say no, when he realized what a good way of keeping her out of trouble it was.  
"OK." He agreed cautiously. 

Her hands worked dexterously at the somewhat course textured strands of hair that fell past Qui-Gon's shoulders, weaving and braiding as she went. The Jedi began to feel quite drowsy after a while. Perhaps it wouldn't hurt to get just a bit of shut-eye… 

Jemmiah watched his eyes close, and smiled broadly. 

*********************************** 

One moment Qui-Gon had been enjoying the soothing feeling of hands working the knots out of his hair and the next minute the door chime had sounded… 

The door chime?!? 

He sat bolt upright in his chair and looked at the chrono. 

It said three.

  
Three! 

Biting back his panic, he raced towards the door just in time to stop Jemmiah from saying something to the assessors that they would both have cause to regret. 

"Hello," Qui-Gon stretched out a welcoming hand. "I'm Qui-Gon Jinn."  
"Pleased to meet you." Smiled a tall, thin young woman in her thirties. "My name's Rosha Nyreen, and this is my associate Andri Creel." She indicated with a nod her male companion who was slightly nearer to Qui-Gon's age. Jinn was pleased to see that both looked not remotely demonic in appearance. 

The woman glanced at her co-worker and then back at Qui-Gon. For some reason he couldn't make out she appeared fascinated by his head. 

"And this must be Jemmiah." She smiled, her eyes flicking between Qui-Gon's head and the Corellian girl hovering in the background.

  
"Yes, that's right." Qui-Gon replied. "Come in, please."  
"Thank you." The little, squat shaped man half bowed, as if unsure of how deferential he should be towards a Jedi. Qui-Gon smiled inwardly.

  
"Your hair looks very pretty." Rosha said to Jemmy, and glancing back at Qui-Gon.  
"Thank you." Jemmiah fidgeted a little. "I like braiding things."  
"So I see." Andri stifled a smile.

  
"Can I get you some refreshment?" Qui-Gon asked, dreading the idea that Obi-Wan had probably drained the refrigeration unit of all its contents.  
"No, thank you." Blinked Rosha, her eyes still hovering uncertainly between Qui-Gon's face and hair. "It's probably best that we make a start. Now, there's no need to be nervous…" 

Qui-Gon was under the opinion that when people said there was no need to be nervous it was usually time for the tranquilizers to come out. 

*********************************** 

Forty-five minutes later and the whole interview was at an end. 

It had seemingly gone without much of a glitch at all, apart from near the end when Jemmiah had told Rosha that her hair tint didn't look very natural and 'did she know that her roots needed touching up', but that apart it had passed quickly and uneventfully. The woman was still a bit of a puzzle. She kept staring at him as if he'd sprouted horns. Qui-Gon found himself breathing a sigh of relief as he said goodbye to them. 

"I'm glad that's over." He breathed out as he closed the door.  
"Yeah. Me too." Jemmiah's Corellian accent seemed slightly strangulated. 

Qui-Gon turned round to see Jemmy standing on her hands against the wall. 

"I am calling An-Paj." He muttered. "I'm going to get him to prescribe something stronger."  
"What, for me?" Jemmiah frowned upside down.  
"No," Jinn replied levelly, "for me!" 

************************************** 

"Can I ask how it went, or is that not allowed?" Windu cornered the two assessors as they made their way back from Qui-Gon's apartment into the turbo lift.

  
"Well, of course the specific details of our report is confidential, although a copy will be sent to your Council regarding Jemmiah's case when the actual review day has been set." She smiled. "But off the record, they seem to get on very well. Your colleague will probably have his hands full by the looks of things." 

You can say that again, thought Mace. 

"She's a lovely young lady." Andri put in, as Rosha stared into the mirror inside the lift to check on her roots.  
"It's fairly obvious that they've formed a strong attachment to each other. And frankly, I think Master Jinn must dote on her incredibly considering what he's let her do to him…" She said.

  
"I agree." Andri beamed. "He's obviously got a lot of time for the girl. I'm sure it will stand in his favor." 

Mace was intrigued. What had Jemmiah done to Qui-Gon? 

*********************************

  
"Master, how did it go…" Obi-Wan stared at Qui-Gon through the doorway in disbelief.  
"Very well, padawan." Jinn frowned. "What's the matter, Obi-Wan?"  
"N-nothing." Kenobi shook his head, a little too rigorous in denial. He wandered over to the kitchen area.  
"I need something to eat."  
"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Qui-Gon muttered as he heard the voices of Masters Yoda, Berlingside and Windu echoing towards his apartment. Checking up on him, no doubt. 

Well, there was nothing extraordinary to report on this occasion. 

He faced them all in the doorway, wondering why everybody he met today seemed to be gawking at him. 

Yoda's eyes lit up. 

"Well, you look." Stated Yoda impishly.  
"Thank you master. I feel very well." Qui-Gon looked confused.  
"Hmmm." Yoda smiled. "Trouble maker this one is, Qui-Gon." He pointed at Jemmiah. "Pleased you are with yourself, imp?"  
"Hi, Master Yoda." Jemmy grinned. She and Yoda had become staunch allies for some reason Qui-Gon could not fathom.

  
"Well," She yawned as she nodded to Dex and Mace, "It's been kind of eventful, so if you don't mind." 

Qui-Gon watched the figure retreat to her bedroom, almost asleep before she got to the door. 

"Please, please, please tell me you didn't sit your assessment looking like that!" Berlingside laughed.  
"Looking like what?" Jinn frowned. "Has Jemmiah been braiding my hair again?"  
"Least of your worries, braids are." Yoda replied sagely. "Unless scare off enemies with hair rollers, you wish to do." Yoda chuckled softly at the expression of horror grew on Jinn's face.

  
"Is this a joke?" Qui-Gon's hands flew up to the back of his hair and met at least three hair rollers, which he pulled out with some of his hair still attached."

  
"Careful with your hair, you should be." Yoda smiled. "At your age, grow back it will not."

  
"Rollers." Jinn shook his head. "No wonder that woman was staring at me!"  
"Er…that's possibly because of the rouge and lip gloss." Windu tittered, averting his eyes. 

Jinn's eyes flew wide open. He left his friends chuckling in the doorway and ran over to the nearest mirror. He couldn't believe the sight. 

"Jemmiah!" He yelled.


End file.
